Page 112 of Bred by the Alien Prince

With a groan of resignation, Zai turned to the nearest console, long fingers flying over the keys. One by one, the pods opened with a hiss, spilling out their dazed occupants. Some emerged coughing and sputtering, others weakly clinging to the sides as fluids drained away.

A woman caught my eye as she stepped down, legs trembling but head held high. She was breathtaking - lustrous black hair, delicate features, and almond-shaped eyes the color of rich coffee. Her skin was like porcelain with a smattering of Valisian spots and the points of her ears peeked through her dark tresses. She had an air of elegant resilience about her, even clad only in a soaked medical gown.

Our eyes met and hers narrowed shrewdly. "I'm Mei," she said, her voice soft but steely. "Who are you? Do you know a way out of this nightmare?"

"I'm Caspian," I replied quickly. "And yeah, we do. This is Zai, he's helping us escape."

At the mention of Zai's name, Mei stiffened, gaze flicking to him and then back to me. She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a fierce whisper.

"We can't trust him," she hissed. "He's one of THEM. We should kill him now before he betrays us."

Zai was observing Mei warily, clearly not understanding her words but picking up on her hostile tone. "What's she saying?" he asked me from the corner of his mouth. "I don't like how she's looking at me..."

"Don't worry about it," I muttered back before addressing Mei and the others.

I raised my voice to be heard over the growing din of fearful chatter. "Listen up! Zai is on our side, okay? And in case you didn't notice, this ship is under attack. There are other Valisians out there fighting these bastards to get us out. The escape pods are close but we have to move fast."

Mei pursed her lips, clearly still suspicious, but gave a curt nod. "Fine," she bit out. "I don't have the strength to fight you on this. Let's just go."

She turned to the other survivors, seeming to square her shoulders beneath the weight of their collective terror. "Everyone mobile, partner up with someone who needs help. Lean on each other, literally. We're getting out of here, now. Stay close and follow my lead."

Her commanding presence was undeniable and the bedraggled group fell in line behind us as we took off again, Zai guiding the way. The deck pitched beneath our feet as the ship shuddered from some external assault. Whether it was weapons fire or someone trying to forcibly board, I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that our window for escape was rapidly closing.

After a harrowing sprint through the disorienting halls, we spilled into the cavernous escape pod bay. Dozens of smooth white ovoids lined the walls, hatches open and inviting. Zai headed straight for one marked with the number 730 in bold print.

"Here!" he called over his shoulder. "Everyone in, hurry!"

There was a mad scramble as we rushed to the pod. I helped a limping man over the threshold, turning to reach for the next escapee, when a black-armored figure appeared in the bay entrance.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The guard leveled his blaster rifle at us and my heart leapt into my throat.

Zai was the first to react, charging straight at the guard with a wild yell. The gun went off, scorching a hole in the wall, but Zai managed to barrel into him, knocking the weapon away. They grappled furiously and I sprinted to Zai's aid.

I threw myself at the guard, trying to put him in a chokehold like I'd seen in movies. But this was real life with real consequences. The guard threw me off like a rag doll, my head cracking against the floor. Stars burst across my vision as I struggled to orient myself.

Dimly, I was aware of Mei screaming my name, of Zai trading blows with the guard. The bay spun dizzyingly as I dragged myself up on my hands and knees. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and too fast all at once.

The guard had Zai pinned, hands around his throat. With my ears ringing and blood roaring, I staggered to the abandoned blaster, fumbling with the unfamiliar controls. More armored figures were pouring into the room, shouts and boots pounding. We were out of time.

I managed to flick the safety off and swung the heavy barrel toward the guard just as his helmet turned toward me. My finger tightened on the trigger...

But suddenly strong hands seized me from behind, wrenching me back. The blaster fired wild as I was dragged away. I caught a blurred glimpse of Zai breaking free, making a desperate dive for the escape pod.

"Go, GO!" I screamed, kicking and thrashing against my captors. With a wrench of my body, I slapped the external launch control. The pod doors sealed and it ejected from the ship with a burst of propulsion. Mei's stricken face was the last thing I saw through the small window before they rocketed away to safety.

Despair and relief warred within me as the guards hauled me out of the bay none too gently. At least the others had gotten away. At least there was hope. I clung to that thought as I was forcibly marched through more halls, disoriented and dripping, until I found myself on the bridge.

Regis whirled to face us, face twisted in fury as the guard shoved me to my knees before him.

"He was trying to escape, Sire!" the guard reported breathlessly. "With the doctor and test subjects!"

"WHAT?!" Regis roared, rounding on the guard. "How did they get to the pods? How could you let this happen?!"

The guard paled, shrinking back. "The doctor...he was helping them..."

"INCOMPETENT FOOL!" Regis backhanded him viciously. "Or are you a traitor, working for my siblings? WHICH IS IT?!"

He seized the guard by the front of his armor, shaking him like a dog with a bone. The other soldiers on the bridge shifted nervously, trying to focus on their controls.

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